Osteospermum plant named ‘Sunny Bianca’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Osteospermum  plant named ‘Sunny Bianca’, characterized by its upright and mounded plant habit; freely branching growth habit; freely flowering habit; daisy-type inflorescences with oblanceolate-shaped ray florets that are initially whitish in color becoming light purple in color with development; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Osteospermum ecklonis.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Sunny Bianca’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Osteospermum plant, botanically known as Osteospermum ecklonis, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Sunny Bianca’.

The new Osteospermum is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Odense, Denmark. The objective of the program is to create and develop new Osteospermum cultivars with compact and uniformly mounded plant habit, freely flowering habit and attractive inflorescence coloration.

The new Osteospermum originated from a cross-pollination by the Inventor in May, 2003 of a proprietary selection of Osteospermum ecklonis identified as code number 50.003.00, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with the Osteospermum ecklonis cultivar Sunny Caroline, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Osteospermum was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Odense, Denmark in July, 2004.

Asexual reproduction of the new Osteospermum by terminal cuttings in a controlled environment in Odense, Denmark since January, 2005, has shown that the unique features of this new Osteospermum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Sunny Bianca has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Sunny Bianca’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Sunny Bianca’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Osteospermum:

-   -   1. Upright and mounded plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching growth habit.     -   3. Freely flowering habit.     -   4. Daisy-type inflorescences with oblanceolate-shaped ray         florets that are initially whitish in color becoming light         purple in color with development.     -   5. Good garden performance.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Odense, Denmark, plants of the new Osteospermum differ from plants of the female parent selection primarily in ray floret color as plants of the female parent selection have dark purple-colored ray florets.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Odense, Denmark, plants of the new Osteospermum differ from plants of the male parent, the cultivar Sunny Caroline, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Osteospermum are taller and more vigorous         than plants of the cultivar Sunny Caroline.     -   2. Plants of the new Osteospermum and the cultivar Sunny         Caroline differ in ray floret coloration as plants of the         cultivar Sunny Caroline have light pink-colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Osteospermum can be compared to plants of the Osteospermum cultivar Sunny Elizabeth, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 16,564. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Odense, Denmark, plants of the new Osteospermum differed from plants of the cultivar Sunny Elizabeth primarily in ray floret color as plants of the cultivar Sunny Elizabeth had pink-colored ray florets with purple-colored stripes. In addition, the lower surface of the ray florets of the new Osteospermum were yellow in color whereas the lower surface of the ray florets of the cultivar Sunny Elizabeth were pink in color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Osteospermum. This photographs shows the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Osteospermum.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Sunny Bianca’.

The photograph at the top of the second sheet is a close-up view of a typical developing inflorescence (left) and a typical fully developed inflorescence (right) of ‘Sunny Bianca’.

The photograph at the bottom of the second sheet is a close-up view of the upper surface of a typical leaf of ‘Sunny Bianca’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The aforementioned photograph, following observations and measurements describe plants grown in De Lier, The Netherlands during the spring in a glass-covered greenhouse and under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in commercial Osteospermum production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 10° C. to 20° C., night temperatures averaged 10° C. and light levels ranged from 200 to 800 watts per square meter. Measurements and numerical values represent averages for typical flowering plants. Plants were pinched one time and were about 15 weeks old when the photographs and description were taken.

-   Botanical classification: Osteospermum ecklonis cultivar Sunny     Bianca. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Osteospermum ecklonis identified as code number 50.003.00,             not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Osteospermum ecklonis cultivar             Sunny Caroline, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About ten days at 18° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About twelve days at 18° C.             to 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted cutting, summer.—About three weeks             at 18° C. to 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted cutting, winter.—About four weeks             at 18° C.         -   Root description.—Medium in thickness, fibrous; white in             color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; moderately dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form/growth habit.—Upright and mounded plant habit.             Inflorescences positioned above the foliar plane. Low to             moderately vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 17.2 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 16.3 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Quantity per plant: Freely branching,             about five lateral branches per plant. Length: About 7.1 cm.             Diameter: About 4 mm. Internode length: About 4.5 mm.             Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: 144A to             144B.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple;             sessile. Length: About 6.1 cm. Width: About 2.9 cm. Shape:             Obovate. Apex: Broadly acute. Base: Cuneate. Margin:             Dentate; coarse. Texture, upper and lower surface: Smooth,             glabrous; leathery; densely pubescent along the leaf             margins. Venation pattern: Pinnate. Color: Developing             foliage, upper surface: Between 141B and 143A. Developing             foliage, lower surface: Slightly darker than 144A. Fully             expanded foliage, upper surface: Between 139A and 147A;             venation, 145A to 145B. Fully expanded foliage, lower             surface: 137A to 137B; venation, 145A. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Daisy-type inflorescence form with             oblanceolate-shaped ray florets. Inflorescences positioned             above the foliage, arising from leaf axils. Disc and ray             florets developing acropetally on a capitulum.             Inflorescences face mostly upright to outward. Freely             flowering habit; about 45 inflorescences develop over time             per plant. Inflorescences not persistent. Inflorescences             faintly fragrant.         -   Flowering response.—In northern Europe, plants of the new             Osteospermum flower continuously from spring to late summer.             Early flowering habit, plants begin flowering about eight             weeks after pinching. Inflorescences last about two weeks on             the plant.         -   Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 1.5 cm. Diameter: About             1.3 cm. Shape: Ovate. Color: Towards the base, 137B; towards             the apex, 151A to 151B.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 6.2 cm. Depth (height):             About 1.8 cm. Disc diameter: About 6 mm. Receptacle             diameter: About 9 mm. Receptacle height: About 4 mm.         -   Ray florets.—Shape: Oblanceolate. Length: About 3.1 cm.             Width: About 1 cm. Apex: Retuse. Base: Attenuate. Margin:             Entire. Texture: Smooth, glabrous; at the base, pubescent.             Number of ray florets per inflorescence: About 20 in about             two whorls. Color: When opening, upper surface: Close to             158C to 158D; towards the margin, close to 154D. When             opening, lower surface: Close to 2A to 2B; central stripe,             close to 197B to 197C. Fully opened, upper surface: Close to             75A; towards the apex, close to 75B; at the apex, close to             154D; towards the base, close to 77B. Fully opened, lower             surface: Close to 12B; stripes, close to 200C.         -   Disc florets.—Shape: Tubular; apex dentate, five-pointed.             Length: About 8 mm. Diameter, apex: About 3 mm. Diameter,             base: About 0.9 mm. Number of disc florets per             inflorescence: About 110. Color: Immature: Close to 198A to             198B; towards the apex, 98D. Mature: Apex: Close to 98D to             155A. Mid-section and base: Close to 155D.         -   Phyllaries.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 20. Length:             About 9 mm. Width: About 2 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex:             Elongated acuminate. Base: Cuneate. Margin: Entire. Texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Sparsely pubescent. Color, upper             surface: 146B. Color, lower surface: 137B; towards the base,             138A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 6.2 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.             Strength: Strong. Aspect: Mostly upright to about 30° from             vertical. Texture: Sparsely pubescent. Color: 144A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets             only. Anther shape: Narrowly oblong. Anther length: About             2 mm. Anther color: 202A. Pollen amount: Abundant. Pollen             color: 21A. Gynoecium: Present on both ray and disc florets.             Pistil length: About 4 mm. Stigma shape: Lanceolate. Stigma             color: N186B. Style length: About 2 mm. Style color: 155A.             Ovary color: 145D.         -   Seeds/fruits.—Seed and fruit development have not been             observed on plants of the new Osteospermum. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Osteospermum have not     been shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to     Osteospermums. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Osteospermum have been     observed to have good garden performance and to tolerate rain, wind     and temperatures ranging from about −4° C. to about 40° C. 

1. A new and distinct Osteospermum plant named ‘Sunny Bianca’ as illustrated and described. 